


Found

by astraplain



Series: Kurtoberfest [15]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 14:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8289643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraplain/pseuds/astraplain
Summary: Jack’s not the only one with magic beans





	

“Hello!” Adam called up to the figure in the window while furtively brushing dust from his tunic. “Please, sir can you help me? I seem to be lost.”

“Are you?” The young man leaned out the window to a worrying degree and Adam quickly waved him back. Even from this distance Adam could see the sapphire blue of the man’s eyes and the ruby of his lips. What was such a lovely person doing in a great tower in the middle of these woods?

“Do you have a map? Perhaps I could come in, Mr…?”

“Just call me Kurt.” He leaned down a little more, with a hopeful smile. “I don’t suppose you have any magic beans?”

“Sadly, no,” Adam replied. “I used my last one to get here.” He deliberately omitted any reference to the giant beanstalk that had wreaked havoc with his garden.

“That’s what they all say,” Kurt slumped, his smile gone. Waving an arm vaguely he said, “If you can find a way in, you’re welcome.”

“Thank you,” Adam said sincerely. He immediately stepped back, taking in as much of the tower as he could. Far above, Kurt turned away. Adam lost sight of him for a moment but he soon returned and tossed something out the window. It appeared to be bed linens twisted and tied together to form a makeshift rope. Unfortunately it covered only half the height of the tower.

Above him, Kurt watched. After a few minutes Kurt resumed the song that had guided Adam when he feared he'd be lost forever in these foreign woods. At first Adam thought he was hearing an otherworldly creature and perhaps he’d been right. Kurt’s voice was bright and beautiful and the longer Adam listened the lighter his spirits. Unable to resist, Adam joined in, singing voice barely above a whisper at first then growing louder with Kurt’s encouragement until their efforts were equal.

Launching into the chorus again, they let their voices fill the small clearing and sail out beyond the trees. They were so enraptured with each other, they barely noticed the low rumbling until the tower began to tremble.

“What’s happening?” Kurt cried, breaking off, mid-verse and clinging to the window frame.

“Steps!” Adam shouted, watching in amazement as some of the stones from the tower slid out of place to form a stairway spiraling up to Kurt’s window. Adam barely waited for the final stones to slide into place before he was climbing.

“You did it!” Kurt pulled Adam inside as soon as he reached the window. Inside was a surprisingly comfortable set of rooms piled high with books and sheet music. There was a piano near the window along with a guitar and some small percussion instruments. It was pleasant enough but a little claustrophobic with only the one window.

“How long have you lived here?” Adam asked the suddenly bashful Kurt.

“Years,” Kurt said. “I stopped counting but it’s been a long time.” He needlessly tidied and wouldn’t look up at Adam.

“You’ve been stuck in this tower the whole time? Don’t you ever get out.” Adam was appalled. The very thought of anyone, especially this handsome man, being locked away, his glorious voice never shared. It made his heart hurt.

“Not since they chopped down my beanstalk.”

“What about food and water? Necessities?” Adam looked around again, trying not to be obnoxious in his curiosity.

“I have an enchanted basket and pitcher,” Kurt pointed to the worn straw basket and plain wooden pitcher. “Would you like something to eat or drink? It’s all organic.”

“I don’t suppose it can make tea?” Adam would be glad for a glass of water, but he really would prefer tea.

“Is mint okay? I over-did the chamomile recently.”

“Mint would be lovely. One sugar if you have it.”

“ Mint tea, hot, one sugar.” Kurt tapped the side of the pitcher twice then snapped his fingers. “The snapping’s just for show,” he confessed as he poured a steaming cup of fragrant tea into one of the two cups he’d taken from the sideboard.

“If you don’t mind my asking, how did you get here?” Adam settled gratefully into one of the two chairs at the small table. Kurt took the other seat and sipped his own tea.

“Before I answer that, you need to know that I’m a siren.” Kurt finally met Adam’s eyes letting him see the importance of this revelation. “The myths about us are wrong; we don’t sing to lure people to their deaths. That was just a rumor started by jealous nymphs.”

“Is that who trapped you here? Nymphs.?” Adam leaned in and tried to let Kurt know that he would never do something so unspeakable.

“No, it was someone I thought was a friend. She told me she’d found the perfect rehearsal space for us to practice a duet for our show choir competition. The worst part is that the man who claimed to love me helped her so he could steal my part in the duet.”

“That’s terrible!” Adam exclaimed indignantly. The realization hit him suddenly. “The stairs. They appeared because we sang together.”

“Yes, ” Kurt agreed, anger turning his eyes a deeper shade of blue. “They made the key to my freedom a duet, the very thing they stole from me.”

“Let’s go.” Adam stood so quickly he nearly knocked his chair over. “You should report them to the authorities immediately.”

“That won’t be necessary,”

“What? Why not?” Adam demanded.

“Dandelions,” Kurt answered with forced lightness. He was still seated and after a moment, Adam rejoined him at the table.

“Dandelions?” he asked.

“Spell casting is a delicate business.” Kurt took a sip of tea. “If, for example, someone had cast a spell on someone, even themselves, they’d be sensitive to certain substances that act as spell nullifiers.” Kurt smiled, a wicked glint in his eyes. “So someone casting a spell to make themselves a better singer just might find themselves having to avoid drinking anything with seeds.”

“Dandelion tea,” Adam concluded. “It’s almost impossible to brew a whole pot without at least one of the fluffy white seeds.”

“Such an easy thing to overlook when you’re busy gloating.” Kurt took one last sip of the tea and set his cup down. “Ready to get out of here?”

“Definitely,” Adam stated. “I’ll help you pack.”

“There’s not much I want from here, but we’re definitely taking the basket and pitcher.”

True to his word, Kurt was ready to leave in ten minutes. He walked the rooms one last time, checking for anything he may have missed then picked up the pack he’d made from one of his blankets and followed Adam down to the ground.

As soon as he touched grass he let out a little gasp and dropped to his knees, picking great handfuls and inhaling the scent.

“It’s been so long,” he said in a voice choked with tears. Adam gathered him into his arms and held him while Kurt struggled to get his emotions under control. When he was calmer, Kurt pressed a light kiss against Adam’s cheek and stood. “Let’s get out of here.”

“That might be difficult,” Adam reminded him. “I only found you because I was lost.”

“Where do you live?”

“Well, it’s a bit awkward. You were asking about magic beans…” Adam rubbed his neck and blushed.

“Wait!” Kurt said, suddenly realizing what Adam was telling him. “You’re from under the clouds? You climbed a beanstalk to get here?” He looked completely delighted.

“I am. I had to sell my last possession of any value to pay the rent but all I could get was some magic beans. I was so upset I threw them into the garden.”

“No!” Kurt was shocked. “Don’t you know how magic beans work?”

“I do now,” Adam said ruefully. “The neighbors were rather cross. I remembered about that Jack fellow and I thought that if he found treasure by climbing a beanstalk, I might find some too.”

“But all you found was me,” Kurt reached over and patted his arm. “I’m not exactly something you can trade for coins.”

“I wouldn’t even if I could,” Adam vowed. “I’m keeping you as long as you want to stay. We’ll sing duets for our supper.”

“No need,” Kurt patted his backpack with the basket and pitcher inside. “Besides, I might know of a way to solve your money woes. Come on.”

Kurt set off at a brisk pace and Adam had to hurry to catch up. They walked for what seemed like hours until they arrived at a huge cottage.

“Do giants live here?” Adam whispered, looking around with worry.

“No,” Kurt scoffed. “Just Finn. I’ll show you.” Boldly Kurt walked up to the door and kicked it. He stood with his head even with the door knob. When Finn didn’t appear Kurt rattled the door knob and called again.

“What?” A large man shouted as he opened the door, only to let out a cry at the sight of Kurt. “Little brother! You’re free!”

“Adam helped me,” Kurt said, turning to motion Adam to come forward. “Come meet my brother. He used to send notes to me in the tower.”

“I would have come in person but I never would have found my way home,” Finn told them.

“I know,” Kurt gave him another hug. “Adam’s from under the clouds. He needs money.”

“Another one?” Finn frowned while studying Adam. “You helped my brother so you must be better than Jack. I cooked a meal for him and everything and he didn’t say thanks. Just stole an old knick-knack and a duck.”

“Goose,” Adam corrected.

“Hey, none of that,” Finn said, giving Adam a warning frown.

“You don’t have a golden goose?”

“I didn’t know they came in colors,” Finn said, frowning again until Kurt patted his arm and directed him to get something out of the storage room. He lumbered away only to return after a series of crashes.

“Here.” Finn set a crystal harp and a blue piggy bank down in front of Adam. They were half as big as Adam. Kurt leaned forward and plucked one of the strings on the harp. The figure of a woman carved into the front opened her mouth and sang off-key while small crystals fell all around the harp’s base..

“Aaaaah!” Kurt said and he grabbed the nearest thing, which was apparently one of Finn’s socks and put it over the singing harp’s head. “Sell that one fast,” he said to Adam.

“How will I get these back down to my house?” Adam wondered.

“I could help,” Kurt offered. “Finn better say here, though. The last time he went down there people over-reacted.”

“They sure did,” Finn agreed with a grimace. “I wish you didn’t have to go. I just got Kurt back. It’s been lonely here.”

“I don’t have much down there,” Adam said slowly, thinking about his meager cottage. “Just some pictures and a few keepsakes, but there’s nothing really keeping me there. My friends have all moved away or gotten married.”

“You should move in with us then,” Finn said, delighted with the idea. Kurt looked hopeful but didn’t say anything, waiting for Adam’s reply.

“You wouldn’t mind? Having me here? I could help with baking and chores. Find a job.” Now that the idea was presented, Adam couldn’t resist the chance to stay here with Kurt and the possibility of a fresh new start in a land of spells and magic.

“We’ll go get your things tonight when it’s dark,” Kurt said, after he’d given Adam a tight hug. “We can’t let anyone see us.”

“Why not?” Adam asked, thinking he might say goodbye to his neighbors at least.

“Because of the unicorn,” Kurt said simply and Finn nodded.

“Of course,” Adam agreed with a laugh. He wrapped his arm around Kurt, finally certain that he was no longer lost.

 

::end::


End file.
